One Bread, One Body

THE WORLD WAR

"If you find that the world hates you, know it has hated Me before you." —John 15:18

Christians continue to be surprised that the world hates them. We may naively think that the world has changed since it rejected and crucified Jesus. Also, we may think that we're not enough like Jesus to be worthy of rejection and persecution. Nevertheless, we have been fundamentally changed by being baptized into Christ (see Rm 6:3). We have a new nature. As new creations (see Gal 6:15), we have been chosen out of the world by Christ (Jn 15:19). The world recognizes that we no longer belong to it. Therefore, it hates, persecutes, and tries to kill us (Jn 15:19-20; 16:2).

Although the world hates even lukewarm, sinful Christians, the Lord wants to give the world more reason to persecute us. The Lord wants to make us holy, to make us like Him. Then we are not just a potential threat to the world but we are an actual threat to turn it upside down (see Acts 17:6). Then the world feels compelled to persecute us immediately and vehemently.

Live your Baptism. Be a threat to the world. Be ever more worthy of being hated and persecuted by the world. Be holy. Be like Jesus.

Prayer: Father, make me "worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of the Name" of Jesus (Acts 5:41).

Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Imprimatur ("Permission to Publish") for One Bread, One Body covering the period from April 1, 2015 through May 31, 2015.†Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 21, 2014.

The Imprimatur ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.